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Five forwards Sunderland should consider in their striker search

Sunderland need to add a striker to their squad to with an injured Jermain Defoe being the only out-and-out senior striker at the club.

One of David Moyes' top priorities must be to bring a striker to the Stadium of Light before the season kicks off in under two weeks.

With Jermain Defoe out with a thigh strain and set to miss the rest of pre-season, that leaves Fabio Borini as Sunderland's main striker, despite being deployed out wide throughout his career on Wearside.

Sunderland are believed to be interested in Burnley forward Andre Gray, but the Clarets are unwilling to part with their man, reports the Daily Mail.

As it looks unlikely that Gray will be heading to Sunderland this summer, we look at five other strikers that Sunderland could consider.

Leonardo Ulloa

The 30-year-old made 29 appearances last season, with 22 of them coming from the bench, with Jamie Vardy and Shinji Okazaki leading the line. With the addition of Ahmed Musa from CSKA Moscow, Ulloa could be further down the pecking order.

The tall Argentinian has scored 17 Premier League goals in 66 appearances, and would provide a different threat to the poacher Defoe.

Chris Martin

Despite never playing in the Premier League, Chris Martin's record in the Championship over the past three seasons suggest he could score goals in the top tier of English football as well.

The Derby striker has scored 52 goals over three seasons, and also provided 10 assists during last year's Championship campaign.

Martin may not be as reputable as some of the other strikers on the list, but could be a cheaper option for The Black Cats.

Christian Benteke

After suffering a horror season during his first year at Anfield, a move away from Liverpool could be what Christian Benteke needs to restart his career.

The Belgian did little to impress Jurgen Klopp and will face competition from Daniel Sturridge, Danny Ings and Divock Origi for game-time this season.

Despite not living up to his £32 million price tag, Benteke has shown he can score goals at this level, and helped guide Aston Villa to Premier League safety on more than one occasion. With no guarantee that Sunderland wont be in a relegation battle this term, Benteke's eye for goal could ensure safety once again.

Mame Biram Diouf

Having spent time playing out wide and even at left back for Stoke last season, Senegalese striker Mame Biram Diouf could be a tempted with a move away from the newly named Bet365 Stadium.

The 28-year-old was mainly played through the middle during the 2014/15 season, which saw Diouf score 11 goals for The Potters. A similar return on Wearside would take the pressure off Defoe, whose 15 goals single-handedly kept the club up last season.

Saido Berahino

The youngest player on this list, 22-year-old Saido Berahino is expected to leave West Brom this summer, with Crystal Palace and Stoke linked with the young Englishman.

Rivals Newcastle had a bid of more than £20 million rejected in January for Berahino, and a club-record fee would be needed from Sunderland if they were to lure him to the Stadium of Light.

Despite only scoring four in a troubled season at the Hawthorns, there is no doubting the potential of Berahino, who scored his first Premier League goal at Old Trafford in a 2-1 win over Manchester United.

If David Moyes wants a pacey poacher to replicate Defoe, then Berahino could very well be the answer.